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19 Comments & Questions

It really doesn't take much to figure those things out - I don't know why this researcher went into this topic....who really cares? People individually know what makes them happy. Does he really think that people are going to read this and change the way they live their lives? Because the answer is they are not going to listen to some person who is probably jumping around in their seat now because their pointless research has been 'published'.

Sadly, we're in a world where the regulators love to insist that people don't enjoy partying and drinking, and consequently banning alcohol only reduces the costs of alcohol without impinging on anybody's fun (because by their definition alcohol can't lead to fun).

I'd be interested to see the who the sample of text message data was from. Also people tend to talk up their sex lives/partying/drinking to their friends, hence via a communications network it seems pretty standard they they would come out on top. But even though I text my friends to say I went to an awesome party on Saturday night it wasn't the thing that made me happiest this week. I just don't text people to tell them how nice it was to chat to my gran, and that my boyfriend is amazing.

Here here! And that's very nice too, the things that make you happy (like family, relationships etc). I think this research is very party-boi biased. Partying is a very transitory happiness, and maybe for people with less going on in their lives. What about job satisfaction, feelings of self-worth?

And clearly this researcher hasn't heard about the term "walk of shame".

#3 Jessica - Agree, the sample size looks pretty small, under 200 people! And being a Canterbury University 'Researcher' one can pretty accurately assume most of the sample would be university students. Epic Fail. Waste of Time. Thinks he is smart and he is not!

Does this person actually get paid for this research? . I think he/she confuses pleasure with happiness. Two entirely different things. When making this type of research one needs to consider the long term effects of a life of partying and sex as a goal in itself and the goal of making one's life count for something as a human being in a world such as ours. If the conclusions of this researcher are accurate then one can only say God help us for the future of the human race.

No, it's why social policy and research needs to be motivated by meaningful questions and problems rather than dominated by professional academic and commercial interests. Its painfully obvious that science and technology do not automatically create happiness and well-being, but often the reverse.

Man, I've got to start doing some of these things for fun. Usually I file my tax returns and mow the lawn when I want to let loose, but thanks to this groundbreaking research, I've found new ways to be happy!